


ps: i want to be with you

by louviere



Series: bokuaka week 2020 [4]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Akaashi Keiji and Bokuto Koutarou as Neighbors, Akaashi Keiji is Whipped, Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Cuddling & Snuggling, M/M, Mentions of mental breakdown, Neighbors, Sharing a Bed, bokuto koutarou is a supportive boyfriend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:34:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25712152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/louviere/pseuds/louviere
Summary: There’s a dog who constantly sneaks into Akaashi’s apartment. He’s not even complaining about it since it’s really fluffy. There’s just one concern: he never gets to see or talk to the dog’s owner.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou
Series: bokuaka week 2020 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1857589
Comments: 4
Kudos: 74
Collections: Bokuaka Week 2020





	ps: i want to be with you

**Author's Note:**

> hello! i combined day 4 & 5: neighbors/cuddling/bed sharing. i know it’s really late so i hope it still counts. i’ve been really busy. TAT
> 
> also, i felt this was rushed,, i hope you’d still be able to enjoy it. i’m as fragile as akaashi in this prompt. [screams]

It’s Tuesday morning and Akaashi is too busy writing and editing the manga he and his collaborator are both working on. From the zombie apocalypse plotline, his senior recommended that they should try writing about sports, specifically volleyball. Akaashi, who’s the one in charge of writing did not reject the idea since he also wants to try something new, and besides, his senior is enthusiastic about drawing a sports manga.

The only thing that makes this hard for him to write is his lack of knowledge in the said sports. He doesn’t have any idea how volleyball works neither does he have any clues in the position, the court, and the players’ body form. He has been scrolling through the internet for 2 hours researching about it. He ends up slamming his head softly on the table and sighing deeply. 

He hears a soft knock on his window that made him stood up. It’s the neighbor’s dog who constantly comes to Akaashi’s apartment. There are times when he leaves his window open, the dog sneaks in and lay on his bed. He doesn’t mind tho since the dog seems trained. 

“You’re here again, huh?” Akaashi smiles while opening his window. The small Shih Tzu dog comes in while wagging its tail. “It has been a month and I still don’t know your name.”

Whenever the dog comes to his apartment, Akaashi knocks on his neighbor’s door to take their pet but the person next door seems to always not be at home. They haven’t met. Not even a glance of a hair strand since Akaashi is always in the apartment complex in the morning while his neighbor probably comes home at late night. Akaashi pats the dog’s head and caressed its soft white and brown fur. The dog reached out for his palms so he held his paws.

“You must be feeling lonely there whenever your owner’s not home,” Akaashi whispers. “Although it makes me worried that you always come here, at least I also don’t feel empty.”

He plays along with the dog for a while and later on focused on his soon-to-be-published manga again. He sighs and starts reading volleyball articles while the dog rest under his chair. 

After an hour, the dog gets up and started making noise on Akaashi’s door using its claws signaling that he wants to come home. Akaashi was about to open his door when he thought of an idea. The dog actually wears a collar but there’s no name printed on it that’s why Akaashi only calls him ‘dog.’ He grabs a paper and wrote something.

_Hey, I just want to tell you that your dog has been coming to my apartment._

_-Your Neighbour_

_Ps. what’s his name?_

Akaashi folds the paper and pinned it to the dog’s collar before opening his door and guiding it to his original home. 

That day, Akaashi was able to finish a paragraph for the plotline but the next day, he woke up to an email from their company rejecting it and asking him to improve it. 

It was tough. Instead of breaking down and being sad about it, Akaashi went outside to visit volleyball courts near their complex to find players he can interview. Sadly, there are no teams playing, not even an individual who is just having fun so he went to the nearest cafe to relax. 

When he’s done taking a break in the cafe, he went to other courts again and even entered sports gymnasiums so he can ask for interviews. Sadly, there are no volleyball games. Most of them are basketball, while others are using the court to play baseball.

Akaashi gave up.

He went home and found his neighbor’s dog outside his apartment and sitting in front of his window.

“You’re here again,” Akaashi chuckles while the dog follows him inside his room. “Did you miss me?”

The dog waggles his tail while Akaashi pats his head. He noticed a paper pinned to the dog’s collar. It wasn’t the paper he pinned yesterday, it’s a new one. He opens it and stumbles into messy handwriting.

_Oh my!!!!! I’m sorry for my dog. I can’t seem to keep him inside. He always sneaks outside even when I close the windows and whenever I put something to cover my door, he often destroys it and always finds a way to leave the house using the small dog door. I’m really sorry :(_

_PS. I haven't named him yet :(_

Akaashi snorted while reading the last line of the message. How can he own a dog without naming it? Or how long has he been taking care of this dog? Anyway, Akaashi has no idea since he only moved into this complex a month ago and they never met nor had a conversation except this note-changing. Meanwhile, his dog started coming to his apartment 2 weeks ago.

“I guess your owner just calls you as dog,” Akaashi softly whispers while caressing the dog. “How cruel of him not naming you.”

He stood up and went to his table to write another message.

_It’s okay. I don’t really mind it since he’s not making a mess. I guess you trained him well._

_-Neighbour_

_PS. Give him a name!_

Akaashi pinned another paper on the collar of his neighbor’s dog and went to sleep to take some rest. 

For the next days, Akaashi and his neighbor have been exchanging notes all thanks to his dog whom he still hasn’t named. Akaashi also constantly reminds him to name his dog but he always forgets about it. They’ve been writing to each other for a week now and to be honest, in Akaashi’s side, it helps him lessen the pressure and stress he feels when he’s running out of ideas for the manga. 

His manga is still rejected and he’s close to breaking down. 

No, he’s already breaking down.

Akaashi’s hands were trembling and his head was spinning. He tried standing up but he also felt like puking the lunch he just recently ate. This is the worst, he whispers to his head while tears are flowing down from his eyes. He started gasping heavily while he tightly grips on his hair, trying to calm himself down.

The dog was on the window again.

Akaashi calms himself and opened it. Instead of coming for his bed and laying down, his neighbor’s dog jumped and sat to his lap while staring fondly at him. He knows, the dog knows. Akaashi was not fine.

He carried the dog he doesn’t even own with his hands continuously shaking and stroll to his bed. He rests himself down including the white and brown Shih Tzu while snuggling it. The dog hugs him back, making him cry again. He felt pathetic and empty. It has been a year since he graduated from college and although he was promoted as a manga writer, he doesn’t feel complete nor happy. He just feels like he has a job he needs to fulfill even though he’s not satisfied.

Akaashi wakes up because of a knock on his door. It wasn’t really loud but it interrupted the good sleep he had for 4 hours. He looked at the dog jumping on his door and that’s when he realized that it didn’t leave his side.

“Hey, I left the window open,” Akaashi sniffs. “Why are you still here?”

He felt like weeping again. It was his neighbor’s dog but he kind of felt like he also owns it because it remained by his side all day while he’s asleep. 

Akaashi opens up the door and a guy who’s a bit taller than him was standing outside. He had round golden eyes and weird spiky white hair with a few black streaks. It was a strange choice of hairstyle but Akaashi’s not one to judge just because he doesn’t like painting his hair or is never gifted with colored hair.

“May I help you?” Akaashi finally breaks the silence. The guy snapped back to reality and greeted him with a smile.

“Oh, hey,” the guy was obviously attempting not to stammer. “I’m your.. uhm, neighbor. Just checking on my dog. Since this is the first time he didn’t come home before me.”

Before Akaashi could even answer, his dog squeezed himself outside and jumped to his owner. 

“Heya,” his neighbor greeted his dog with a cheerful smile. It was totally adorable like the shy smile he had while talking to Akaashi earlier. He pats the dog on his head and carried him. “I’m sorry you had to look after him while I’m gone!”

“Oh, I told you it’s not a big problem.”

“Are you okay?” Akaashi was taken aback by the question and his neighbor realized that he shouldn’t have asked about it. “Sorry about that I was just— it’s just, you looked like—“

“Yeah, I’m okay,” Akaashi answers with a smile. 

“Anyway, I’m an idiot. I never get to ask you about it but... may I know your name?” 

Akaashi shook his head and laughed. “Hey, I’m also an idiot. I didn’t ask you. Anyway, I’m Akaashi Keiji.”

His neighbor smiled and reached out to his dog’s paws, waving them like he’s entertaining Akaashi. “I’m Bokuto Koutarou. Pleasant to finally meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi smiled. He takes a step back. ”Do you want to come inside?”

“Oh, it’s alright! I actually need to feed him that’s why I went outside to check him,” Bokuto shyly answered. “But I’ll gladly accept the offer again next time.”

It sounded like he was flirting.

“Yeah, sure.” 

Bokuto giggled and left with his dog. Akaashi closed his door and sat in front of his table, gaping at his laptop again. He closed his eyes and rests his head on the table for a while until he realized something.

His neighbor was wearing a volleyball jersey.

Bokuto Koutarou, someone who is just residing next to him is a freaking volleyball player all this time.

* * *

Akaashi was unable to interview Bokuto in the morning. He woke up late and it appears to be that his neighbor departs early. It makes Akaashi wonder if he’s just a volleyball player or he’s also working. 

He spent the day finally finding volleyball players he gets to interview. But as he scans his notebook, he was hoping that he’ll be able to have a conversation with Bokuto again... and of course, talk about volleyball. Yeah, he just wants them to have a conversation again to talk about volleyball and his dog.

Yeah, just that.

Akaashi entered the complex. He starts feeling anxious, standing in front of his door while digging his bag for his keys. He sat down and searched his bag for a whole minute but couldn’t find it inside.

“Hey, are you okay?” Akaashi wishes to unexist at this very moment. Bokuto moved toward his direction while giving him a confused look

“Yeah,” he nervously laughs. “I‘m just tired and ended up sitting here, wondering why the world is so cruel.”

Bokuto chuckles and it made Akaashi feel things. He wanted to smack his inner self. He and his neighbor just met personally for the first time yesterday, why should he feel something? 

“It’s cold,” Bokuto sat next to him. “But I guess sitting here while looking up the sky with the cold weather really makes you wonder why the world is cruel.”

“Uhm, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi calms himself down and shyly calls for his neighbor’s name. “If it’s okay... can I ask you about volleyball?”

The guy glanced at him and gave him another confused look. Akaashi smiled awkwardly and explained why he needs the interview. He started by introducing himself as an editor of manga from a huge publishing company. His co-worker recommended to try volleyball and that’s when Bokuto understood him. Akaashi also told him about his struggles in looking for information and Bokuto only gave him a laugh. 

The two talked about the sport for an hour. Bokuto told him about how he started in middle school. He was inspired by a coach who told him to enjoy the competition because that’s the only way you will never get tired of volleyball. It was the only thing he believed in until he went to high school. He also became an ace and listed as one of the best spikers in Tokyo. He also teased Akaashi for not knowing about it while the younger only felt sorry for not knowing about sports. Bokuto also tells him that he is really passionate about volleyball which is why he’s still playing on leagues. The reason why he wakes up early is to get up for their training and he comes home late because he gets too enthusiastic during practice.

“I’d like to watch your match sometimes,” Akaashi smiles. “I have a feeling that I’ll be amazed.”

“Oh, I will make you focus on me while I play!” Bokuto confidently responds.

“Shoot,” Akaashi noticed the time that made Bokuto look at his watch as well. “We’ve been talking for 2 hours!”

“Yeah,” the white-haired boy chuckled. “It’s cold and It’s getting late. Let’s go home.”

“Actually,” Akaashi fidgets his fingers and sighed. “I lied. I was sitting here because I’ve been looking for my keys the whole time but then I felt exhausted, so I didn’t get up immediately. I think I left my keys inside...”

The next thing Akaashi knew is that Bokuto is laughing loudly at him. He smiles while he’s playing his fingers, feeling embarrassed about his situation.

“Anyway, I shouldn’t laugh,” Bokuto calms himself down while Akaashi looks back at him. “I also left my key inside that’s why I approached you. I was just too shy to tell you about it.”

It was Akaashi’s turn to laugh out loud.

* * *

Whenever Akaashi is editing the manga plotline, Bokuto’s inside his room playing with his dog whom he now names as Toffee. They have also been dating for a month now.

It was actually an accident.

There was that one match where Akaashi came to watch Bokuto. It was the only day he was free and his co-worker, Tenma also came to watch for his manga sketch inspiration. Just like what he expects, he was focused on Bokuto only. Although the whole MSBY team was amazing, he couldn’t remove his eyes from Bokuto.

He has an amazing body form while playing. His jump was really high, the way he spikes the ball was powerful and whenever he’s able to hit it inside their opponent’s court, Bokuto’s smiling widely and encouraging the crowd to cheer for him. He was an energetic player that you’ll just want to continue watching.

After that match, Akaashi went to Bokuto to congratulate their win but one of his teammates, Atsumu came to tease Bokuto. 

_“Hey, isn’t he the Akaashi guy you’re in love with?”_

And that’s how the confession started and the dating began.

“Hey, Akaashi, you look frustrated again,” Bokuto taps his bed. “Come take a rest for a while.”

Akaashi did not answer because he was thinking of some character build-up for their main protagonist. Meanwhile, Bokuto sighs and watches his boyfriend slams his head on the table.

“Hey, don’t pressure yourself. Leave it for a while. You’ll write something later,” Bokuto grabbed Akaashi by his arms and pulls him to his bed. “Go get some sleep. You’re close to looking like a zombie. Your pretty face doesn’t deserve it.”

Akaashi chuckles. Bokuto was about to leave but his boyfriend tucks his jacket. “Hey, where are you going?”

“To my apartment?”

“Don’t leave,” Akaashi tried to keep the embarrassment in his face not until Bokuto laughs. “Stop laughing.”

“Hey, you’re adorable.”

Bokuto lays next to Akaashi and pulls him closer for a cuddle. He kissed his forehead and Akaashi buried his face into his chest.

“Koutarou,” Akaashi whispers his name while the volleyball player with white spiky hair looks at him. “Stay.”

Bokuto smiles softly, tightening their hug and whispers back. “I will, Keiji.”

* * *

Akaashi continues his editing the next day while half awake. It’s funny how he had plenty amount of sleep yet craves for more. Bokuto probably went home after he fell asleep even after asking him to say. Sometimes, Akaashi just wishes that they’re living in the same room. I mean, they’re practically just close to each other but he just wants to wake up in the morning seeing Bokuto’s face. He just wants more cuddles every night because they’re each other’s comfort.

He sighs while looking at the manga panel with the antagonist almost looking like Bokuto. He knows that Tenma drew it on purpose to tease him.  _What a jerk, senpai._

Akaashi got distracted when he felt Toffee’s paws scratching his legs. He carries him and caresses his furr while the dog gives him kisses. He was about to put him down when he noticed a paper pinned to its collar. He smiles at the familiar memory. This time, the paper wasn’t as small as a memo pad. Instead, it’s medium-sized, like a ripped paper from a notebook. He took it and unfold the paper.

_Hey, neighbor._

_Thank you for taking care of my dog._

_Actually, I’ve seen you a lot from my window before I knocked on your door to ask for Toffee. I just grabbed my chance that day to finally get to talk to you. I know something’s wrong because you had puffy eyes that day but I was too shy to keep up the conversation so I panicked and told you that I need to feed Toffee._

_I was glad we were both stupid to leave our keys behind the next day. I finally get to have a conversation with you that lasted for an hour! It made me feel like we’ve known each other. I’m really happy to know that someone like you is writing about volleyball and that connects you to me._

_Although a month just only passed and it felt like we’re in a rush, I’m glad I met you. You were patient with me and we love each other equally. I’m lucky to have you._

_-Toffee’s Dad_

_PS. If you look at your door after you read this, it means your response is YES._

“Huh?” Akaashi who was on the verge of crying after reading the short letter glanced at the door and saw Bokuto smiling widely. “What yes?”

“Do you want us to live together?”

“Of course!” Akaashi finally cries. “Ah, why do I keep crying these days?!”

Bokuto chuckled and walks closer, pulling his Akaashi to a tight hug. “It’s alright to cry. I’m finally here. Someone’s going to listen.”

“I love you, Kou,” Akaashi weeps, hugging his boyfriend tightly.

“I love you more, Ji.”


End file.
